Alcoholics

[IggyB]

Why do recovering alcoholics give up the deamon drink completely rather than just reduce the amount they drink down to a sensible limit? or am i being hoplessly naive in my assumption that reduction is easier than a full stop.

[buttons]

i would say it's because the temptation to have 'just one more' would be too much and they would not know where to draw the line. I have had first hand experience of alcoholism and it can a serious effect on the family and friends of the alcoholic as well as them selves. It would only take one drink to bring back the effect and feeling involved with alcohol and they would be back at square one.

[Linz]

I agree with buttons. One of my friends has just recovered from being an alcoholic and they have vowed never to touch a drink again. I asked him why and he said it is so tempting but he does not want to take that risk again.

[andy hughes]

As my colleagues advise, alcoholism is an 'all or nothing' addiction, so the notion of temperate drinking is not an option.

[Tat]

you're all right.i have not had a drink for over 2 years (march 13th 2002 to be pecise!) as i am a recovering alcoholic. i can't just have one drink as it will turn into many. i am an 'all or nothing' type of person with all aspects of my personality not just with booze. and have a very addictive personality like most alcoholics. the ways and reasons alcoholics drink is different to 'normal' people - we usually start drinking heavily to block out reality and don't just drink socially and in the evenings (i have never needed booze to be outgoing and sociable) but then become mentally and physically addicted to alcohol (i had hideous physical withdrawel when i stopped drinking). so it's easier, not that it's easy at all but you know what i mean, to not have any booze at all. hope this makes sense and helps. xx

[Jenny Tools]

More power to your elbow Tat

[IggyB]

Thank you all very much, especially buttons and Tat

[Tat]

my elbow... what!?

[buttons]

Your very welcome IggyB ;o)

[bernardo]

I have no experience of alcoholism in myself or in family etc., but I recently heard an expression which might help to explain it:

"All the drink in the world is never enough; one drink is always too much".

[tartanwiz]

It's the same as addiction to any other drug. Once a person has actually become an addict (as opposed to a user), they can never risk going back to controlled or occasional use. Just one drink or fix will trigger off a craving for more, which they would be unlikely or unable to resist.